


Looking at the Lights

by RocketJockey



Category: Arcade Spirits (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-13 11:26:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18467995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocketJockey/pseuds/RocketJockey
Summary: There are many unique patrons at the Funplex, but there's only one that dresses up as a masked wrestler. Going by the moniker of Numero Uno, this odd individual plays an arm wrestling arcade machine almost every day, aiming to beat the game and become the strongest in the Funplex! Will this masked hero overcome the cybernetic menace? Will he even make friends along the way? Or will he fall to his electronic nemesis?





	1. Cheers & Jeers

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. This is the first story I've written on here, and also the first fanfic I've ever written in so many years. I've been playing Arcade Spirits recently and I fell completely in love with it. The world, the music, the characters, the dialogue, etc. It's probably the best visual novel game I've played in a long time. So it was a no-brainer to write a fanfic about it and have it take place during the main story.
> 
> Now fair warning, there is an original male character and possible romance, but he won't be interfering with the main plot of Arcade Spirits. He's more of a fly on the wall type and usually observes the events when it occurs in the Funplex. I will expand more about his character and why he wears the mask as the story progresses of course. For now, I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Arcade Spirits and its characters belong to their respective creators Stefan Gagne, Aenne Schumann, and all the lovely people at Fiction Factory Games. The game is simply amazing and I cannot recommend it enough.

The sweat rolled down his cheek as the sound became deafening and the pressure was getting higher and higher. His heart was pounding as the people around him were chanting his name and giving him their support.

It was now or never!

Giving it all of his strength, the muscles in his arm aching and shaking, he brought his opponent down with a triumphant THUD!

ONE! TWO! THREE!

The bell rang and the winner was named as the people watching him clapped and chanted.

“U-NO! U-NO! U-NO!”

The chanting was almost intoxicating, but reality soon set in as he heard the tickets being dispensed below him, seeing that he was back in the arcade, with text on the screen requesting another token for the next level.

“I’ve never seen anyone get that far! That was intense, man.” A patron said with admiration.

“Yeah, at this rate, you’ll be at the highest level in no time!”

The man they were praising was a regular at the Funplex Arcade. Nobody knew his true name since he went under the pseudonym of “Numero Uno”. Even his face was concealed by a red luchador mask (with yellow trimmings and a white #1 on the forehead) that concealed most of his features except for his eyes, mouth, nostrils, and chin. It was the mystique that gave him a small following, even if it were only three people. He was always sporting a tight black t-shirt with words “UNO” on the front in white pixel text. Not only that, but he went all out with his wrestling persona, with black tight pants, yellow boots, and even a red cape to give him the image of a superhero reject. A simple, yet straightforward design.

Numero Uno smiled and shook his fans’ hands before looking back at the arcade machine. It was relatively new and it was its unique gimmick that attracted him to play it almost every single day and attempt to beat it. It was an arm wrestling machine that tested the player’s strength and increased the difficulty with each level beaten. As far as he knew, Numero Uno was the only one to get past level 5 in one sitting.

“Maybe soon you’ll all see Numero Uno become… Number One!” He said with a grin, almost feeling embarrassed with the redundancy. His fans nodded regardless.

“Come on; let’s see you go on to level 6! Put that token in and let's see it!”

As much as he wanted to hit the next stage, he put his hands up and shook his head.

“I know you three want to see me take on the next challenge, and I’d be happy to do so. Unfortunately, this man of steel needs to recharge his batteries and fuel up.” Numero Uno spoke with a smile on his face.

As he moved past his fans, he walked right up to the vending machine, getting himself the closest thing to a healthy snack. He chose a chocolate bar that boasted a good amount of protein from one vending machine, and a sports drink from another.

After he picked up his nourishment, he turned around and scanned the arcade and saw the many other patrons, in their own zone just like him.

The one that interested him the most was the taller, bearded gentlemen, always playing Mr. Moopy’s Magic Maze. Numero Uno wasn’t even sure if he even leaves the arcade. Was he even human? A small laugh escaped through Numero Uno as he thought of the theory that he was a possible cyborg. Nevertheless, he felt that they would be one and the same if they ever talked.

He soon found himself pacing around the Funplex, walking past the section where Fist of Discomfort was stationed, seeing another battle going down as he walked on past. Fighting games never interested him, even if the idea of beating a living, breathing opponent was tempting. He was too modest to taunt and trash talk in front of a large audience, in person or online.

His attention turned to one of the employees calibrating a malfunctioning arcade machine, making him stop for a moment. As the employee stepped away from the machine and returned it back to the world of the living by plugging it in, he heard her let out a sigh of accomplishment. Numero Uno and the girl made eye contact and he gave her a knowing smile, which she returned.

His journey continued as he walked past the establishment’s mascot, Pinky the Funplex Flamingo. Numero Uno felt his pace quicken slightly, as he was a bit terrified of the mascot’s appearance. He gave the feathery beast a nod as he moved.

Once he finished his food, he was heading back to the arm wrestling machine before he spotted someone waving him over out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw the business manager Gavin, feeling an ounce of dread as he approached him. Numero Uno cleared his throat and put on his best smile he could muster.

“I’m going to have to ask you to keep it down, sir. There are other customers in this arcade besides you and your friends.” Gavin requested. Numero Uno nodded, having heard this lecture before. There was enough rowdiness already with QueenBee’s unlucky opponents trash talking anyway.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again. You can’t blame them though. Numero Uno is getting closer to the finish line. And before you know it, I’ll be… Number One!” He laughed a little, but Gavin didn’t find the apparent joke all that amusing. Numero Uno then placed a hand on the back of his mask, fiddling with the laces.

“You’re right nevertheless. I’ll uh… Keep it down next time.”

Gavin nodded as he went back to his tablet, tapping on a few things.

“Well good. Tomorrow we have a new employee coming in and I would like for them to deal with minimal issues on their first day as much as possible.”

Numero Uno nodded and put his hand back down, feeling the tension slowly fade.

“That’s a good point.” Numero Uno put his hands on his hips before smiling wide. “Numero Uno will strive to be a good example of Funplex patrons everywhere!”

“Yeeaaaaah, you do that.” Gavin said, leaving the masked mystery in order to take care of more important matters.

A new employee tomorrow. That piqued Numero Uno’s interest slightly. Of course, he knew he would have to be professional and follow Gavin’s instructions, but there was also that temptation of leaving an unforgettable first impression on this stranger. Perhaps if they saw how Numero Uno operated, they would ask Gavin to have the Funplex sponsor him and set up an event where Numero Uno topples the machine and basks in the admiration from his fans.

A true people’s champion!

The masked player soon snapped back to reality as he felt someone approach him from behind. He turned around, expecting the giant flamingo to deliver a killing blow to him but mercifully, it was one of his fans.

“Hey, you going back to the game Uno?”

Numero Uno sighed with relief and nodded with pride.


	2. Man Behind the Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new employee interests Numero Uno and he's excited to meet this person. Unfortunately, he becomes sidetracked by his determination to beat the arm wrestling machine. Not only that, but a child asks him a question that begins to gnaw at the back of his mind.
> 
> Why does he wear the mask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's time for chapter 2 of Looking at the Lights. This time, it's much longer since I wanted to expand more on Numero Uno and make him more of a complicated character. That way, you can watch him grow and change as the story goes on. I actually enjoyed writing this because he was able to meet Ashley Wolf and interact with her. She's such a fun character to write!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Again, Arcade Spirits and its characters belong to their respective creators Stefan Gagne, Aenne Schumann, and all the lovely people at Fiction Factory Games.

The next day approached and the opportunity of meeting a new employee seemed interesting. Numero Uno thankfully didn’t forget to be professional and risk causing any unnecessary problems. As he approached the Funplex, he adjusted his mask for a moment. They had opened an hour ago and he was oddly excited to meet this stranger.

Numero Uno took a deep breath and entered, his cape flourishing for a moment as the cold air greeted him, almost like he was entering another world. It would have looked cool if anyone had even noticed.

His eyes scanned the room slowly, spotting someone standing behind the prize counter with a look of confidence and a fire in their eyes. The classic case of peppy employee, before reality and boredom rears their ugly heads.

Numero Uno gave them a once over and noticed they looked pretty normal. No crazy hairstyle or noticeable tattoos (as far as he knew). In fact, they wouldn’t be out of place in a large crowd. Perhaps it was for the best though.

He gave them a nod of courtesy, but the expression they returned was that of surprise and possible fear. It was understandable though. It wasn’t every day one would meet a luchador arcade dweller.

Numero Uno smiled to himself and prepared for the bout against the arm wrestling arcade machine.

It was pretty typical by this point. The first level was a quick three second match at the very least since it was the easiest. The next level increased in difficulty and Numero Uno added more force with each level. Oddly enough, it was easier to concentrate when he was by himself and not being showered with praise.

Not that he didn’t appreciate the praise anyway.

The next level was up. Level 5, the one he conquered yesterday. It would be tough, but he was ready to overcome the challenge. He closed his eyes, and then got into the zone.

Heart rate was increasing, the muscles flexing, and the bright lights all around consuming his body. His grip tightened as he pushed the arm down. Ever so slowly, the arm began to give and the resistance was falling.

Push. Push. PUSH.

Those words circulated in Numero Uno’s head and before he knew it, he overcame his robotic nemesis once more.

He let go as the level was completed, getting pulled back to the Funplex. He shook his arm lightly to loosen up as the screen asked for another quarter in order to go on to level 6. Numero Uno took a deep breath and grabbed another token from his tights’ pocket, then slid it into the slot.

Out of ear shot, it sounded like the employees were almost panicking about something. Numero Uno looked for a second before getting sucked back into the game.

“Okay… Here we go.” Numero Uno said, placing his hand on the metal arm.

Level 6 was starting, the lights enveloping him once more. The pressure was on, literally.

Push with every ounce of strength. Be unstoppable.

A mighty grip was in place and the attempt was made. Man and machine, battling it out for dominance!

And the machine was winning.

Slowly, the cybernetic arm began resisting and fighting back, the warrior’s arm moving slowly to the other side. No matter how hard he tried, it was futile. The mechanical beast won.

At least for now.

Back to reality, and Numero Uno was leaning against the arcade cabinet as the words “GAME OVER” flashed on the screen. He was used to losing, but he was certain he was going to win that time. The screen soon brought up the option to continue, with a timer counting down. He exhaled softly.

Today wasn’t the day.

As he was about to turn around, he almost bumped into a child, but stopped just a few inches. He looked down, seeing that she was about five years old. A smile appeared on Numero Uno’s face as he looked at her.

“Hello there, little girl. Do you want to play the game? I’m done anyway.” Numero Uno offered, stepping aside, but she shook her head lightly and kept looking at him.

“Um, why do you wear that?” She asked, pointing at his mask. For a moment, he’s surprised by the question before chuckling.

“Well, it’s what makes me, me. I’m Numero Uno, the strongest player in the Funplex!”

“Why?” She asked again.

“Uh, well I like to wear it so people can recognize me, including the cape too. Think of it as a superhero’s identity.”

“But… Are you ugly or something under there?” She innocently asked.

The question was like a bullet, going straight at him and piercing where it hurt. He frowned a little, but tried to be positive.

“No, no I’m not ugly. It’s just… Something I like to wear.”

Before another question could bombard him, Numero Uno took his leave with a nod and a grin, walking away from his interrogator. He moved past the crowd of kids, noticing that they too were looking at him. Or rather, at his attire.

The lingering eyes, the pointing, and even the parents whispering to each other as he moved past was becoming a bit overwhelming. Even some of the employees were looking at him, including the newcomer and even the pink monstrosity.

He needed to get away.

The front doors were only a few feet away. He pushed open the doors and stepped outside, taking in the fresh air. Numero Uno looked around before turning and going around the corner of the strip mall and heading to the back of the building.

Once he was out of anybody’s possible eyesight, he slowly began touching the laces on the back of his head, feeling the material.

Why did he always wear the mask? Would it make any difference?

Numero Uno placed his forefinger and thumb on the string, ready to untie, but he caught himself.

“No… Don’t listen to her. She’s only curious about Numero Uno, not you.” He whispered to himself, putting his hand down. He looked around once more and took a few deep breaths before smiling.

“I’m strong! I’m a role model to anybody who wants to be like me! So what if anybody asks a few questions. They could be fans in the making!” Numero Uno said, now grinning and posing like a superhero.

“Come on! Back into the fray! The crowd is calling for you!” He said, raising his fist into the air as he jogged back into the arcade.

This time, he pulled on one of the doors with enthusiasm as the conditioned air greeted with him open arms.

Even if people looked at him, he ignored the glares and moved back to his game. Unfortunately, he noticed some of the younger boys were playing and they all wanted a turn. Clearly, they had no idea that Numero Uno was the master of the game, but he was oddly okay with it.

Perhaps it was time to take a well-deserved break and maybe get to know someone.

That newcomer seemed interesting.

As he moved to approach them, they soon moved to take care of something else. Numero Uno watched them take action and he stood there, watching. At least they weren’t a lazy worker, that’s for sure. A commendable feat!

Perhaps another time.

Numero Uno soon found himself being a fly on the wall, watching the craziness and how the new employee was handling the situations. Sadly, he watched as they couldn’t fix all the issues, which surprised him.

“If only you tagged me in, I could have gotten us the win. I’m already fired up.” Numero Uno remarked quietly.

Numero Uno observed them as they moved to the employee lounge, most likely taking a break. Thankfully, it looked like the party was calming down.

“Well, I guess it’s a good time to relax and maybe talk to someone. Anyone.” Numero Uno said, looking around once more. All the opportunities to talk to a person, maybe make a friend, was a bit overwhelming. He had trouble deciding, so he closed his eyes, spun around a few times before stopping and opening them once more.

After waiting for the dizziness to subside, he saw that he was looking right at Pinky the Funplex Flamingo a few feet away. The masked arcade dweller gulped a little.

“Well… If that’s what I must do.”

He moved towards the flamingo, feeling a slight weakness in the knees. He watched as the flamingo turned around and for the first time ever, he spotted a pair of human eyes looking right at him through the neck. That revelation was nightmare fuel.

Numero Uno’s first instinct was to run or even deliver a suplex, but he was determined to get over his fear.

“Um...” He heard his voice crack before clearing his throat. “Hello there. I noticed that you were looking at me, I think. A few minutes ago, actually.”

He watched the eyes widen before speaking to him in a muffled voice.

“Oh yeah! You’re the masked wrestler guy, right? Number One-o?” He heard the voice say. Slowly, the fear was fizzling out as they got the name wrong and he laughed a little.

“You’re close. I’m Numero Uno, the Funplex’s strongest arm wrestler!” He said pointing to his shirt and mask.

“Oooooh! So you can lift cars and bend steel beams?” the Funplex Flamingo asked. That question made Numero Uno genuinely laugh, thankfully not out of fear.

“I wish! No, I just battle with the mechanical arm. I aim to beat the hardest difficulty setting too. Maybe even become a legend here, but that would come later.” He responded.

The eyes moved to look at his mask, then his cape.

“I like the cape by the way! Looks to be simple material, and there’s always a chance that you can modify it too.”

Numero Uno grabbed a hold of the cape and felt it, smiling to himself.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good. I could maybe add some flare to it; even put a giant number one on the back. Or would that be too obvious?”

The eyes squinted for a moment.

“Maybe you could add some sparkle to it. Or make the number out of sequin fabric, so it can change color when you brush it.”

“Huh. That’s… Actually a pretty good idea. Thanks a lot uh… Pinky.” Numero Uno said, not sure what to call them.

Slowly, the flamingo leaned forward in a whispering gesture. Numero Uno leaned forward as well, playing along.

“I go by many names, but my real identity is Ashley. Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’ll be our secret. Shhh!” The now female bird said as he nodded, getting the message.

“You got it. I swear not to tell a living soul. Now ghosts on the other hand?” He said with a comical shrug as Ashley laughed under the suit.

Oddly enough, Numero Uno laughed along with her. What he thought to be some sort of monster, or even surly person under the costume, turned out to be some silly, fun girl.

The Funplex was full of surprises, it seems.

Before he could continue the conversation, he felt a pull on his cape. He looked and noticed a little boy looking up at him. Then he noticed what he assumed to be their parent, with a phone in her hands.

“Can my son take a picture with you? He’s a big wrestling fan.” She politely asked. Numero Uno looked at the kid, then the parent, then at Ashley. She had a look of approval in her eyes and he nodded.

“Sure, anything for a fan!” Numero Uno said with pride in his voice as he kneeled down to the kid’s height. “Strike a pose, okay?”

Numero Uno flexed his arm wrestling bicep and the child did the same. The flash went off, and the mother smiled as she looked at the picture on her phone, the smile still present on her face.

“Thanks so much.”

Numero Uno just nodded and stood up as the boy went back to his friends.

Okay, maybe Numero Uno wasn’t really a wrestler, but he didn’t want to turn away someone and say that he wasn’t what he looked like he was. For all he knew, this boy might look at Numero Uno as an inspiration, to be just like him. Wearing a mask at the Funplex and aiming to conquer another game.

It was actually a nice thought.

“Next you’ll be signing autographs and kissing babies. Oh! What about being a mascot for the Funplex? Numero Uno! The Funplex Suplex Wrestler!”

A laugh escaped Numero Uno’s mouth.

“Well, I can’t actually suplex anybody. Think about the lawsuits if I did that!” He said.

Soon Ashley’s eyes locked on to somebody else, making Numero Uno look as well. He spotted Gavin, giving Numero Uno and Ashley a look. If the look could speak, it would say “Get back to work” and “Stop bothering the employees”.

He gave Gavin a nod of acknowledgement and looked back at Ashley.

“Well anyway, I should go and see if my game is free. It was actually nice meeting you, Pinky.” Numero Uno said, bowing out of respect, which Ashley did the same.

Numero Uno walked to the arcade cabinet, seeing some children still playing it. They looked to be struggling with the machine, which was obvious because they were much weaker. The kids were absorbed into the game as he moved behind them, seeing that the boy playing was only on level 2. The child gave up and sighed.

“I was so close!” The boy said, taking his hand off the machine as it flashed “GAME OVER” once again. The other kids were scrambling, wanting to take a turn.

“Let me try!” One boy said.

“No, I want to try. One of us has to beat this!” Another said.

A smile spread across Numero Uno’s face. Looks like it was time to be a hero!

“Excuse me, young ones, but perhaps I can be of some assistance!” Numero Uno announced as he stepped forward and they turned to look at him. At first, they were surprised by his mask and attire, but soon went from seeing Numero Uno as some masked loon, to a hopeful savior.

Without saying anything, he placed a token into the slot and began the game. Even with the kids around almost talking all at once, Numero Uno was able to get in the zone.

The fight began as he gripped his opponent’s metallic hand. With one swift motion, he brought him down and waited for the next stage.

It was time for the second round. The opponent powered up and gave some resistance, but it was nothing compared to the masked one’s power. With some force, he brought his opponent down once again, another victory to claim.

Alas, he knew when to stop and when asked if he was ready for the third fight, he took his leave.

Numero Uno stepped away from the machine as the timer ran out and the screen went back to the demo footage. He soon realized that the kids were looking up at him with a mix of awe and questions. Before any of them could speak, Numero Uno took the initiative.

“You see, it’s all in the wrist and technique. Now, the game may be difficult at the start and you may not beat the next level after just barely getting by the first one. But with enough practice, determination, and heart, you can come out on top, just like Numero Uno!” He explained with enthusiasm. “This game isn’t something you can pick up and play and expect to win right away, of course. It takes a lot of practice, but if you keep your eye on the prize, then you’ll be making some excellent headway! Remember that!”  
The kids all looked at each other as Numero Uno walked away with a big grin on his face. It didn’t matter if they understood what he meant, or even if they simply ignored his advice, but he hoped to have motivated them to never give up. Only time would tell. After all, they were only five.

As he walked, he noticed the new employee coming back out from the employee lounge, looking pretty satisfied.

Numero Uno locked eyes with them and gave them a nod, to which they returned in kind. He could feel the energy in the Funplex starting to become more positive and the party was slowly starting to simmer down, which was a plus.

Once the parents returned to pick up their offspring, Numero Uno was still feeling pretty good about what he did. Soon, he found himself watching all the employees cleaning up after the supposed chaos. Numero Uno was planning on leaving, but he stopped as he saw someone leave the employee lounge once again. This time, it was someone he didn’t recognize.

She had blonde hair, a denim vest with a white shirt underneath, and white pants. He didn’t recognize who she was, at least until he noticed her carrying the body of the Funplex flamingo.

Instead of shouting out that the Funplex’s mascot was murdered and she was the killer, he put two and two together and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips. He soon walked up to her and tried to make some small talk as she began to work on the costume.

“Hey, is the costume okay?” Numero Uno asked, looking over her shoulder as she was stitching up one of the wings back to the body. Ashley looked over at him for a second with a smile before she continued.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Pinky’s been through worse.” She said with a matter-of-fact tone.

Numero Uno nodded and watched her hands as she deftly moved the thread and needle like it was second nature. His eyes widened as she finished up her repair and showed it to him.

“There we go! Good as new!” Ashley said with accomplishment in her tone.

“Wow… I wish I was half as good as that. Any time I would rip a shirt or my cape would get caught on something, I’d always take it to some tailor and pay for it instead of fixing it myself. My hands aren’t nimble enough and I’d probably either poke my fingers or the thread would be all jagged and off.” Numero Uno said, looking at his hands before laughing lightly.

Ashley perked up and was soon smiling brightly.

“Oooh! Idea time! I can show you a few things. It’s really easy to stitch up something once you know how.” She offered.

At first, Numero Uno was hesitant. The idea of getting sewing lessons was nice, but what if he messed up? What if he tried to stitch up a rip in his cape and it wouldn’t be the same?

What if it happened to his mask?

He touched his cheek and wanted to politely decline, but she seemed to be enthusiastic about the idea. And it looked like she could handle his clumsiness. Numero Uno put his hand back down and nodded.

“Okay. You can also show me how to stitch some rips and tears so I can do it at home, but let's try not to do anything with my mask. Cape and everything else is fine, just not the facial region. Is that okay?” Numero Uno suggested. Ashley nodded and held her hand out to settle the agreement, which Numero Uno gripped and gave a firm handshake. It was a start and, after all, his mask was very important to him. He wouldn’t feel comfortable with someone else touching it, even if it was to show him how to fix it.

“Deal! I vow never to touch such a valuable treasure.” She said.

“It is valuable. And for all you know, it could be cursed!” Numero Uno said, the idea making Ashley giggle.

“That sounds even better. You could have found the mask and put it on, thinking it would give you all the riches in the world, but it turns out that whoever wears it, wears it forever!” She added to the story, causing the two of them to share a laugh together.  
Numero Uno looked around after having a good talk and, since things were officially quieting down, decided it was best to go home. The two said their goodbyes and Numero Uno left the Funplex in a good mood as he stepped outside into the nice evening air.  
Even if he didn’t have a chance to speak to the new employee, he was at least able to overcome his fear of giant pink flamingos and make a new acquaintance in the process. Plus, her willingness to help him with his costume was a bonus.

Maybe he would be able to add a sequin material to his cape after all.


End file.
